DuckTales Valentine's Day Special 2026 #1 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In 2022, Disney awarded Dynamite Entertainment the rights to publish all new adventures of fan favorite characters and properties. The Big Apple set Gargoyles was the first property to go to print. By the next year, Dynamite was releasing origin stories of beloved Disney villains such as Maleficent and Cruella De Vil. More current animated films such as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and Lilo and Stitch began to fill shelves in 2024. 

It was Dynamite's initial plan to feature a lineup of comics based on the syndicated weekday cartoons from the 1990s known as 'The Disney Afternoon', with Gargoyles leading the way. However, it wasn't until late 2024, that Dynamite released a monthly series based on both DuckTales and spinoff TV show Darkwing Duck. Both have been extremely popular with Darkwing Duck's arch nemesis NegaDuck getting a miniseries soon after. Meanwhile, DuckTales star Uncle Scrooge has been receiving a fair share of solo love over at Marvel with a one-shot look at the Duckburg multiverse with Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime and the follow up miniseries Uncle Scrooge: Earth's Mightiest Duck.

The DuckTales Valentine's Day Special 2026 is Dynamite's first companion piece to the beloved children's series that ran from 1987-90. In it, Uncle Scrooge is on guard against con artists who might want to steal his vast riches under the guise of being McDuck's Valentine. The powerful sorceress Magica De Spell just happens to be scheming against Scrooge on this lovely Valentine's. But she doesn't have plans to make the bijillionaire fall in love with her. As usual, Magica just wants his lucky dime. However, when her spell deflects off of Scrooge's lucky dime, it backfires into an enchantment that causes both to lose their memories and assume that they are each other's soul mate.

As nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie traverse the globe with the assistance of pilot Launchpad McQuack and inventor Gyro Gearloose, Scrooge and Magica uncover vast riches and hidden treasures with the help of Scrooge's dogged determination and De Spell's magic. Making an unstoppable pair, could these two former foes be falling in love this Valentine's Day?

Written by comedian and podcaster Connor Ratliff and comedy waiter James III, this Valentine's Day special hits all the high notes of a Disney Duck story. There's adventure. There's fantasy. There's humor. Add in unforgettable cameos by the Beagle Boys, Donald Duck and Flintheart Glomgold, this was almost a perfect story for fans of the many creations of Carl Barks. The only thing missing was the nephews' handy Junior Woodchuck Handbook.

Artwork was by Libero Ermetti. The muted hues along with how the background appears just a little bit out of focus from the action of the main characters, one feels like they're watching a never before seen episode of the classic DuckTales series instead of the most recent reboot starring David Tennant, which features less classic looking versions of the citizens of Duckburg. 

Main cover art was by Nicoletta Baldari. Variant covers were illustrated by Ermetti,Stefano Porcu and others.

Completing this review completes Task #34 (A comic book about a holiday OTHER than Christmas) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: 'Return to Plain Awful'- The Don Rosa Library, Vol. 2

Don Rosa gets a lot of hate from Duck fans. But no matter how much a collector might despise his work, the harshest critic of Don Rosa is Rosa himself. And I just don't know why. 

Rosa is a disciple of the greatest Duck creator of them all, 'the good Duck artist' Carl Barks. And sure, you never want to exceed your hero. But while Don Rosa is no Carl Barks, I think it should be said that Carl Barks is no Don Rosa either!

The artist originally born as Keno Rosa has a style in the vein of Harvey Kurtzman with tiny little inclusions of hidden images and inside jokes- usually in the background. I absolutely love that. Each Duck story of Rosa's that I read, I feel like a detective trying to find all the Easter eggs hidden in every panel. Thank goodness Rosa wrote his own commentary situated at the end of this volume as sometimes, no matter how hard I try, I just can't find where he hid the word 'D.U.C.K.' in the art of the first page. (Note: you should also be on the lookout for hidden Mickey's and portraits of Barks throughout...)

In this volume we get to enjoy a number of adventures throughout Duckburg and the furthest reaches of the globe. The cover story sees Uncle Scrooge tagging along with his nephews to Plain Awful in hopes of securing the market on square chicken eggs. But he'll have to beat rival Glomgold Flintheart to Peru first! 

My favorite story has Scrooge declaring his money bin a sovereign nation. The headaches that come about with tariffs, passports and an invading army of Beagle Boys makes this story so relevant to today's headlines that you would swear that this story wasn't written over 35 years ago.

There's a couple of real hidden gems that I don't feel like Rosa gives himself enough credit for. First is a storyboard for a never published promotional comic highlighting Donald and his nephews' inaugural trip to Disney MGM Studios. As it's Rosa's only story to have Donald and Mickey interacting in the same universe, it's not to be missed! Then there's Rosa's only foray into the DuckTales realm. He only penned it and it's less than 8 pages, but this prehistoric time travel romp with Magica De Spell was so fun!

I needed this book as a bit of retail therapy and a pick-me-up after a very difficult weekend. I had a ball with this book. I laughed, I examined and I appreciated the artwork and I distressed. I just wish Don Rosa knew how much somebody appreciated his body of work. He's ton better than he gives himself credit for!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Mickey and Donald Christmas Parade #3 (2017)

Either I'm getting forgetful or I'm getting old. Either way, I had this comic in my 'to review' pile as a leftover from last year. Yet when I was flipping though it, this thing was brand-spanking new to me.

The main story stars my personal favorite- Uncle Scrooge! Magica De Spell has here eyes on McDuck's lucky dime and she hopes that under the guise of the holidays to make her wish come true. When her niece points out a loophole that Santa must obligate, Magica might finally get the one thing on her Christmas list!

Then Mickey and Minnie run afoul of the Beagle Boys. Donald tries to find a Christmas Tree for girlfriend Minnie and Uncle Scrooge finally allows for his money bin to get decorated by the holidays.

I do remember the Donald and Daisy story. But it was a reprint from the 1950s. I've probably read it in one of my dozens of other Disney holiday books. Or alas- I really am getting old and my memory is turning selective. 

Hopefully not...

A holiday special sure to warm you heart on a cold winter's night!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Disney Giant Halloween Hex #1

   I was really excited about this supposedly 'all-new' Disney Halloween special from IDW Publishing. But this special that hit stands just this past Wednesday wasn't comprised of all-new material at all. Instead, like with their other Disney titles, this book was made up of stories reprinted in other Disney comics. To be fair, two of them were never before published in the United States until now. But I really was looking for to something a little more 'up-to-date' looking.  
    The star of this special is the magical arch-enemy of Uncle Scrooge- Magica De Spell. In a story from a 1995 Italian comic, Magica is on a another quest to steal Uncle Scrooge's lucky dime when her annoying relatives come to visit. Insisting on helping her along, they actually help Magica. But, upon numerous rebuffs of warning from a gnome, the enchantress learns that having it all isn't all it's quacked up to be. 
   Then Magica returns for a one-page gag from Holland as she dreams up another scheme to steal Scrooge's dime. 
   Both stories were actually pretty good. The art was very clean and they both were kinda funny. Plus after years of not knowing why, I finally learned why it's so gosh darn important that Magica De Spell steals Scrooge's lucky dime- it all has to do with her being able to perfect a Midas touch spell that will turn everything she touches to gold. 
   Honestly, I don't understand why Magica doesn't just tell Scrooge her scheme and they wind up splitting the profits. I mean, he's so greedy, I think he wouldn't pass up a chance to get even richer.
    The last story of this special was the only actual Halloween themed tale. From the 1960s, it stars an elderly witch named Witch Hazel and her trusty broom. On Halloween Eve, her nephew comes to visit. But when his antics get out of control, the Witch Hazel and the broom will have to use their wits as (at least in this story) witches and warlocks can't hex each other as their powers cancel each other out.  
     The Witch Hazel story was a nice closer to a special that pleased despite not being what I wanted. I truly wish Disney would make IDW produce new stories. There's supposed to be a Duck Tales revival coming soon and this special devoted to Magica would've been a nice teaser for fans both old and new.
     Not a bad read. A fun Halloween treat but using reprints in an all-new special is a little bit of a trick.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.